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As Congress Debates Alleged Genocide Claims
- Safiu Kehinde
An Untied States lawmaker, Pramila Jayapal, has warned against the portraying the violence in Nigeria as genocidal attacks targeted solely at Christians.
Jayapal gave the warning during her address before the US Congress over the alleged Christian genocide claims and President Donald Trump’s planned military action over the allegations.
The Congresswoman in her argument maintained that the violent attacks in Nigeria cuts across multiple groups.
She held that the US must thread a cautious path in its approach towards the situation.
Jayapal said perceiving the violent attacks as persecution of Christians is too simplistic as she highlighted the diversity of Nigeria while citing a review by Search for Common Ground which analysed the complexity of the violent attacks in Nigeria.
“The devastating level of violence in Nigeria are clear, but I appreciate that people have also recognised that it is not just persecution of Christians but persecution of multiple groups and I think we have to be careful of portraying it just as persecution of Christians.
“That feels to me simplistic and it doesn’t account for the intercessional diversity of Nigeria.
“Certainly, religion is a contribution factor to the violence. But a review by the Search for Common Ground found that the Nigeria’s middle belt region, religion was not the primary driver of conflict.
“Instead, attacks are being directed against both Christians and Muslims regardless of religion at the hands of armed terror groups like Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa. Or fueled by differences in lifestyle between farmers and herder groups compounded by climate change and governance issues.” She said.
The congresswoman expressed concern over Trump’s threats against Nigeria.
“I’m very concerned that a day after President Trump saw clip on Fox News about persecution of Christians in Nigeria, he threatened to go guns blazing in Nigeria and revoke all assistance that will include global health funding despite Nigeria account for over a quarter of annual millennials death a year and being home to the third largest population living with HIV. These are issues I worked on in Africa before coming to Congress.” SHe said.
She also raised question over the possible breach of Nigeria’s sovereignty status with the planned military action.
Jayapal thereafter asked Jonathan Pratt, a senior official at the US state department’s Bureau of African Affairs, under what authority the military action will be carried out.
“Can you tell me under what authority would the US military strike inside of Nigeria?” Jayapal asked Pratt who was a witness on the panel.
According to reports, Pratt earlier revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had instructed the department to develop a joint action plan with the Nigerian government to address the problem.
“The secretary of state has directed us to put together a comprehensive plan that uses all tools at our disposal, including security and the Department of War, and this would be primarily focused on the security that we are providing to the government of Nigeria and how they are deploying their assets,” Pratt replied the congresswoman.
“We can also share information and intelligence. We can talk about counterterrorism. And so those are the tools that we are primarily looking at in our strategy.”He added.
Jayapal however pressed Pratt on why those measures were not deployed as the initial response.
In response, he replied Pratt said the State Department had long been engaged in efforts to address insecurity in Nigeria.
Jayapal added that adjusting the approach was necessary to ensure the most effective results rather than indulging in what she described as bullying and threatening Nigeria.
“I just wish we would actually stick to that playbook rather than a bully and threaten of a country that is extremely important to us and to the region,
“I don’t think that’s the right way to go, to just go on Truth Social and threaten ‘guns-a-blazing’. I think what you’ve described is much more appropriate.” She said.
The debate also several other Congressmen and women expressing their divided opinion over the case.
While some, largely the Republican lawmakers, backed Trump’s planned actions, most Democrats lawmakers stood in defence of Nigeria.